Bottle carrier



W. WENTHE BOTTLE CARRIER Feb. 26, 1946.

Filed May 8, 1944 Patented Feb. 26, 1946 BOTTLE CARRIER William Wenthe, Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to Wenthe-Davidson Engineering 00., Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application May 8, 1944, Serial No. 534,563 4 Claims. (01. 224-48) The present invention relates in general to improvements in devices for maintaining a limited number of similar articles in grouped arrangement, and relates more specifically to improvements in the construction and operation of collapsible bottle carriers or the like.

The primary object of my invention is to provide an improved carrier for a group of bottles or the like, which is simple and durable in construction, highly eificient in use, and which may be collapsed into compact condition.

Various types of so-called bottle carriers for facilitating convenient transportation of a limited number or group of bottles, have heretofore been proposed and utilized more or less successfully. Some of these prior devices were of a temporary nature being constructed of cardboard or the like, while others were formed of more durable materials such as wire and sheet metal, and many of them were also collapsible when not in use. It is, however, frequently desirable when a, number of these carriers have been loaded with bottles, to be able to stack the bottle laden carriers upon each other in compact formation or arrangement and without endangering the relaively frail bottles, and none of the prior devices have been entirely suitable for such stacking.

It is therefore a more specific object of this invention to provide an improved bottle carrier which will permit safe stacking of the bottle laden carriers, without danger of breaking the bottles, and without diminishing the utility of the structure as a carrier.

Another specific object of the invention is to provide an improved carrier and retainer for bottles or..the like, which may be sturdily constructed of sheet metal and wire with the aid of punches and dies and at relatively low cost.

A further specific object of my invention is to provide an improved collapsible bottle carrier which will firmly maintain a group of the articles in desired position, even when one or more of the bottles are removed, and which may be quickly and conveniently collapsed or distended.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description.

A clear conception of the features constituting my invention, and of the mode of constructing and of utilizing bottle carriers built in accordance with the improvement, may be had by referring to the drawing accompanying and forming a part of this specification wherein like parts have been designated by similar reference characters.

Fig. 1 is a part sectional end elevation of one of the improved bottle carriers, showing the same in partially collapsed condition and portions thereof having been broken away so as to reveal details of construction;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the same bottle carrier assemblage, showing the carrying and retaining elements thereof distended or in carrying position, and also showing a typical dot-and-dash lined bottle positioned therein; and

Fig. 3 is a similar perspective view of the bottle carrier assemblage, showing the various elements in the positions assumed thereby when several of the bottle laden carriers are stacked upon each other.

While the invention has been shown and described herein by way of illustration, as having been embodied in a collapsible metal bottle carrier having a maximum carrying capacity of six relatively small glass bottles, it is not my desire or intent to unnecessarily restrict the scope or utility of the improved features by virtue of this specific embodiment.

Referring to the drawing, the improved bottle retainer and carrier shown therein, may be constructed of metal with the aid of .punches and dies, and comprises in general a bail-shaped element or handle 5 having elongated slots 6 in its opposite depending vertical side portions; a channel-shaped supporting member I slidably associated with each of the handle side portions and being secured thereto by a fastener such as a rivet 8 slidably coacting with the adjacent slot 6; a pair of dished bottle supports or pans 9 of interchangeably similar formation spanning the space beneath the handle 5 and being swingably suspended in rolling contact with each other,

from the lowermost portions of the two side mem-- hers I by means of alined pivot pins l0; and a pair of guard rails or U-shaped wires ll friction-- ally swingably secured to the depending sides of the handle 5 above the slots 6 by means of other alined pivot pins l2.

The handle 5, channel members I, and pans 9 may obviously be readily formed of relatively stifi and durable sheet metal with the aid of simple equipment, and the guard rails ll may likewise be formed of ordinary heavy wire; and the channel members I are also of interchangeably similar construction, and the same is true of the guard rails ll, thus reducing the structure to a minimum number of different parts, and permitting quantity production of the carriers at relatively low cost. Each of the bottle supporting pans 9 has three bottle confining lobes or pockets as shown, adapted to receive the base portions of bottles is as shown in dot-and-dash lines in Figs. 2 and 3; and each of these pans is also surrounded by a rim or lobular outer flange I4 7 and by a straight inner flange I5. The ends of the outer flanges id have curved surfaces l6 formed thereon as shown in Fig. 1, and these curved surfaces 16 have rolling contact with the corresponding adjacent surfaces of the other pan 9 when the pans are swung about their pivot I ll may be swung upwardly pins ID. The straight inner flanges II are adapted to abut against each other so as to limit the downward swinging movement of the two pans l to the horizontal position when theassemblage is openedor distended, but the guard rails l I may be swung downwardly beyond the horizontal, and are irictionally retained in all positions of adjustment. The handle and members 1 are so formed that both the pans s and the guard rails toward each other or collapsed to position entirely within the handle and the channel members, and the members 1 may also be slid toward the cross-bar of the handle 5 along the slots so as to permit collapse oi. the assemblage into extremely compact condition.

After the improved metal bottle carrier assemblage'has been properly constructed and assembled as shown in the drawing, the structures may be compactly collapsed as above indicated, but they may also be readily distended for normal ,use in carrying or storing bottles in the following' manner.' The metal pans 9 and the wire guard rails ll may be positioned as shown in Fig. 2, whereupon any desired number of bottles I: may be set within the pans and guard rails. The group of bottles I: may then be readily carried, and the inner I pans a from swinging downwardly beyond horizontal position of alinement. During carrying of a group of bottles, the rivets a will slide into the lowermost portions of the slots 6 which are formed in the handle 5, and in order to prevent bottles I73 of different shapes from swinging outwardly, the wire guide rails ll may be swung downwardly into contact with the sides of the bottles. The bottles l3 arethus firmly held in upright position and will not become displaced even when the carrier is swungrather violently,

If it is desired to pre-load a number of the improved carriers with bottles l3,- they may be so preloaded and stacked upon each other without danger of breaking the relatively frail glass bottles. In Fig. 3 is, shown the position which the various parts assumewhen the loaded carriers are stacked oneupon another. When the pans 9 of an upper carrier assemblage engage the crossbar of the handle 5 01' a lower assemblage, the handle I together with the guard rails ll associated therewith, will move downwardly by virtue of the sliding motion of the slots 6 along the rivets 8 01' the lowercarrier. The handle 5 will thus be lowered into close proximity with the tops of the bottles and theupper carrier assemblage will rest upon the cross-bar oi the lowered handle I. a Any number of successive bottle carriers may thus be stacked upon eachother and the bottle-laden carriers will not only protect the bottles confined therein, but will also occupy minimum space. When the assemblages have been placed in stacking condition, the tops of the bottles is within each carrier should be approximately in the same plane as' the cross-bars of the adjacent handles 6, thus providing a nrm base for supporting the upper carrier assemblages;

From the foregoing detailed description it will be apparent that my present invention provides an improved bottle carrier assemblage which besides being extremely simple in construction and collapsible, is also highly eflicient in use and provides for compact stacking of the bottle-laden carriers. The improved assemblage can obviously flanges is will prevent the bottle supporting pans whena number of their inner portions for aseaeoi be manufactured with simple equipment at moderate cost, by virtue of the interchangeable formation of similar parts thereof, and the bottles II are most efl'ectively retained in proper position when the carrier is loaded. The provision oi the slots 6 and rivets 8 makes it possible to reduce the over-all height of the assemblage to a minimum the carriers are stacked upon each other, and the structure may obviously be collapsed into extremely compact form for storage and shipment purposes. The invention has proven highl satisfactory in actual use, and may obviously. be embodied in carriers for any desired number of bottles or other articles of diverse sizes and shapes.

It should be understoodthat' it is not desired to limit this invention to the exact details of construction or to the precise mode of use, herein shown and described, for various modifications within the scope of the appended claims may occur to persons skilled inthe art.

I claim:

1. In combination, a handle having an upper cross-bar and depending opposite side portions, a channel member slidable along each of said side portions, and a pair of similar bottle supporting pans pivotally' suspended from said members, said pans having rolling contact with each other during swinging thereof and being provided with coacting abutments for limiting the downward swinging motions thereof.

2. In combination, a handle having an upper cross-bar and depending opposite side portions provided with elongated slots, a member slidable along each of said side portions and being guided and stopped by the adjacent slot, and a pair 01' similar bottle supporting pans pivotally suspended from and interconnecting said members beneath said cross-bar said pan having rolling contact with eachother during swinging thereof and being provided with coacting abutments for limiting the downward swinging motions thereof.

3. In combination, a handle having an upper cross-bar and depending opposite side portions provided with elongated slots, a member slidable along each of said side portions and being guided and stopped by the adjacent slot, a. pair of similar bottle supporting pans pivotally suspended from and interconnecting said members beneath said cross-bar and having rolling contact with each other, and a pair of guard rails likewise pivotally suspended from said handle portions above said members, said pans and said guard rails being swingable entirely within the confines of said handle and said members.

4. In combination, a bail-shaped handle having an upper cross-bar andintegral depending opposite side portions each provided with an elongated slot, a channel-shaped member slidable along each of'said side portions and being guided and stopped by the adjacent slot, 9. pair of similar pivotally suspended from and interconnecting said channel-shaped members beneath said cross-bar, said pans having rolling contact with each other adjacent to said members during swinging of .the pans and being provided with coacting abutment flanges along limiting the downward swinging motion of the pans, and guard rail pivotally. suspended from said handle above said members and being swingable into contact with the bottles supported by said pans. 

